Manufactures * 303 
Amongst the consequences resulting from this accession of ma- 
nufacturing and mechanical power, is the ability accruing to 
these nations, of maintaining great armies and navies ; too often 
employed to annoy the very persons who buy their wares. 
It must be evident, that to bring into the service of man the 
mighty agents alluded to, and set them at work in preparing his 
food, cloathing, necessaries and luxuries, by habit become neces- 
sary ; much capital, [accumulated labour, or in other words th® 
product of labour not consumed, J must be invested in machinery 
and apparatus, which require time and labour to set up. Whereas 
all that a woman wants to enable her to spin one thread, is a wheel 
and reel, which can be procured for four dollars ; and this is ten 
times the sum necessary to fit her u£> with a distaff ; a business 
like this, may be begun and laid aside, on the exigencies of a week. 
Not so the other. Before a thread can be made, many thousand 
dollars must be expended on the mill and apparatus. A nation, to 
avail herself of the benefits growing out of the great improvements 
that have been introduced into the arts and sciences, must cherish 
the infant efforts of her citizen^ by judicious and stable laws, and 
inspire them, with confidence to embark their property and time in 
those undertakings. A manufacturer and his capital have a fixed 
character, they cannot ,be changed like the merchant. Under 
these circumstances, no nation will progress, except her legisla- 
ture contributes protection ; and the farther other countries have 
advanced before she begins, so much stronger is the protection re* 
quired. The United States possessing vast resources in the vigour 
and activity of her people, extent and quality of soil, uniformity of 
government and language, mines, forests, be. be., I once thought 
that a fixed duty of 35 per cent., would be sufficient to cherish 
those manufactures essential to her independence and wealth, but 
on more maturely weighing the subject, I think the import should 
be raised to fifty ; that in two years from the termination of the 
present war, 5 per cent, should be taken off the import, and at the 
end of three years another 5 per cent., and at the end of four year$ ( 
a farther reduction of 5 per cent, and the remaining 35 per cent, 
to be considered perpetual. This gradual way of lowering the 
duties, would be favourable to the revenue, the manufacturers and 
holders of foreign goods. A rapid reduction will be most mischiev- 
ous to both the latter, and this cautious way of proceeding, would 
afford time to apply any special remedies that particular cases 
might require. It will soon be found that many particulars can 
maintain their ground advantageously? at much lower protecting 
